In this striking portrait, Lee Greene Richards—one of Utah’s most important early artists—captures the stoic nature of his sitter through loose brushstrokes and a soft, muted color palette. This warm, dignified, and idyllic representation is typical of the artist’s extensive portfolio of painterly portraits. His diligent attention to the features of his subjects paired with his signature fluid and expressive execution reveals his academic training.
Born in Salt Lake City, Utah and raised amidst a community of painters, Richards became determined to emulate the European masters. When he was 18 years old, he moved to England as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The remarkable paintings that he encountered in England inspired him to study in the hopes that his own work would one day be worthy to hang beside them. In pursuit of his goals, Richards eventually moved to Paris where he enrolled in the prestigious Academie Julian and Ecole de Beaux-Arts.
The sitter for this painting, Florence Richards, was likely a Latter-day Saint in Utah, where Lee Greene Richards opened a studio in 1904 after his training in Paris. Despite limited documentation on the subject of this painting, her gentle disposition embodies early-20th century fashion. Covered from neck to wrist in a dress beautifully ornamented with lace and crowned with a fabulous wide brimmed hat, Florence exudes the refinement and poise of an upper-class woman.
